Thermopile



May. 28, 1929. c. B. THWING THERMOP I LE Filed March 21, 1925 Patented May 28, 1929.

' I PENNSYLVANIA.

a has particular relation to such devices as are applicablefto medical purposes.

One object of my'inventionIis to provide a' ferenee's in: temperature between various fp oints'on the surface of a body.

. vide a jthermopile comprising a pluralityof flexible positive and negative elements con- "nected, alternately in series circuit relation,

2 i "groupsjas to afi'ord an indication oftemperatu're difierences therebetween.

vide 'adevice of thefclass' described, wherein alternate junction points of a thermopile are .dispo'se d' in groups, and wherein the groups may be rig-idly secured n any one of a plurality of spaced positions.

. 'vention, as well as Jdetailsof constructionand .operation,3 whereby my invention maybe a practiced, will appear more fully hereinafter, 7 when takenf'in'connection with the accom- I panying drawing, wherein Figs. 1 and 2 are top plan and side eleva- ,tiona'l views,crespectively, of one embodiment of. my invention;and f y Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view of the circuitarrangementofFigs. 1 and 2.

In'order to facilitate the description. of my 1 invention, I have shown the same embodied in medical instrument particularly applicable to'the determination of temperature dif- 1 ferences between spaced points on the human body, though of course my invention lends itself to various other uses and applications. I Referring particularly to Fig. 3, a thermopile 1 comprises a plurality of positive and 3 1 negative elements 2 and 3 which are alternately connected in series circuit relation to Y'formacontinuous circuit at, of which connectors'5 and 6 forming extensions of the positive elements 2,2 constitute the external leads "thereof Each positive element 3 is connected intermediate a pairof negative elements 2., 2, thus forming junction points 7 at theopposite ends thereof. The currents established at one i junction point thus balance those established at the preceding or succeeding junction point, providing the temperatures at said junction pointsare equal. 2

THERMOZPILE.

My invention relates to thermopilea and it thermopile that shall accurately indicate dif- 1 euiotherjjobject ,of my invention isto pro? the. ji 1nc tion" points being so arranged in a i A further object of my invention is to pro Other objects and applications-of my in raise CHARLES B; 'rnw Ne, or PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THwING NSTRUMENrcQMPA Y, or PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A coRroRA'rIoN-or V App1ication.fi1ed-March 21, 1925. Serial No. 11203.

My invention further contemplates the separation of the junction points 7' into two groups 8' and 9, the currents""established at the junction points embodiedin group Bbeihg opposite to those established in group 9. Since there are no breaks in the connections between the junction points of the groups'8 and 9, it is not necessary to compensate for the. usual'external errors,thus affording an extremely high degree of accuracy in the measurement of temperature differences between saidgroups 8 and 9. xThe useof the thermo-couplc elements 2, 2 as "leads eliminates another source of error heretofore enconnection between theexternal circuit and the thermo-couple elements 2, 2. 3 i I Asan illustration of onemethod of mountingthe flexible thermopi-le 1,1 reference is made to. Figs. land '2,1fwherein the junction 'ments 2 and 3 disposed external to the hand grips 12 and 13 may be protected by a flexible tubel15, as shown in Fig. 2. The hand grip 12 is similar to the hand grip l3 but it is also provided with an axial extension 16, through which pass the instrument leads'5 and 6;

When. it is desired to observe temperature differences between two points on a surface,

countered, namely, the error at the point of the hand grips 12 and 13 are manipulated to bring the junction points 7 of the groups 8 and 9 into contact therewith, and'since the thermo-couple elements 2 and 8 are flexible,

the spacing between the two-points of measurement may be varied at will.

Should it be desirable, however, to take a v series of readings over a'range of equally p spaced pomts, I provide a clamplng block 1 whlch serves to rigidly secure the groups 8 and 9 in any one of a plurality of ,predetermined positions, as shown in Figs. 1 and ,2.

b'odiment ofmy invention, for the purpose of describing the same andil'lustrating its prim ciples of construction and operation,- it is ap-' parent that various changes and incdificaticns may be made therein without departing from the, spirit of my invention and I desire, therefore, that only such'liniita'tions shall be iInposed thereon'as are indicated the appended laiins'or as are demanded by theprior 'art '1. 'A thermopilecomprisinga pluraiity of 'fl'e xib'le positive; and: negative elements, cer' tainj'unction pointsbeing' dispcsed in groups,

and a pair 6f supporting hand grips'fcr said 1 gi=cups,jone cf saidhand grips being extended t'c' proYide a suppcrtfor at least one lead "of vsaid thel nopile. i

2. A the nopile ccmprisingiapluralityfcf, elements, certain 1unct10n p o ntstoit' which are disposed ingroups, gr ps for supporting the respective groups permitting a re1ativem0ve 'menttherebetweemene of said grips being V extendedto provide a support for the. leads tosaid therm0pile, and means o peratively associated "With said grips, whereby ,said

onps y b cur d a y o 1mm- 1 her ofdesired positions;

3. A thermopile comprlsing il urality o f flexible elements, certain junction points of! which are disposed in groups, rigid supportflexihl e elements connected in; set

posed in grqups, "a' pair 'of "ri 1 a r 1 tor so, supporting the respective 1m grips for said groups permitting relative movement therebetween, one of said grips having an axial-extension, and means ope'rative'ly associated withsai'd grips, whereby 'mi said groups may be secured 1n deslred rela-f;

tion;

permitting a relative? Movement therebet'ween, one ef; sa d hand gr ps hav ng 1 an eiial tension r r A'thermo iie compi i m {a 1111 alityd f I flexible, elements defining atfleasfti twc spaced juncticn,points,' a paircfrigidfhandgrips for}; a supporting therespectivejunctionjjibin'ts}; and a fi exibl e protective coveringferithepor 1 i tions of said elenients extendingbetween said 55 r n gid Hana psonea i a d ha d ip e 6.. A. thermopile comprising a plurality011 T rlfatidn', "alternate junction? points being di o0 "d hand grips" permit relative mdyement therebet'ween'; dne J J of said hand grips:being-elongatedto'provide a. suppert F101 theleadsbf Said rheiinio ne, e5

a flexiblepi-citectiv e coi cri ng' for tl'ie jpcrt biis of'said element s {disposed "intermediate, saidhand grips janda' elam in u yi e pely tively associated wlthisaidhandgr ps rf or se-j curing the same in: a desired pcsition-i a 13";{11iiwim I f 1 4t. Ati'lBIIllOPilB comprisinga plurality of flexible"elements definingiatleasttwd'spaced a, 1 "junctien-points, and a-pair-of handl'grips f0n45 v supporting the respective junction points and 7 r p sjtu i 

